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FAQ: The Believer's Relationship to the Mosaic Covenant

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At the Blue Letter Bible, we consistently receive questions on tithing, on which, if any, of the often “strange” Levitical laws (e.g., Do not weave two kinds of fabric together) apply to the believer today, on when to celebrate Old Testament feast days, et cetera. These are all questions borne out of an inadequate understanding of the agreement made between God and Moses on Mount Sinai.

Properly understanding the covenants and their importance seems to be one of the most eluding pieces of theology for the modern believer. The Mosaic Covenant was directed specifically toward the nation of Israel and was concerned in its chiefest aspect with Israel’s inheritance of and blessing in the land of Canaan—the Promised Land. The laws that attended this covenant, while revealing God’s desire for this nation to be set apart from all others as an example, do notnecessarily give us any perfect basis for understanding morality. This may seem to be a strange statement. But we ask you to consider the following points.

  • Much of the time when people discuss the “Law,” they are thinking primarily of the Decalogue (the Ten Commandments). However, the Law, (i.e., the Mosaic Covenant) contained several hundreds of commandments. Many of which today are not even possible to follow, due to the lack of a Jewish Temple. Yet, biblical morality is not affected by this situation.
  • In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus seemingly expanded the understanding of the Ten Commandments. Rather than just stating that we should not murder, He told us that if we called our brother a “fool,” it was the same as committing murder. So the Ten Commandments were not all encompassing as to morality.

The real question then presents itself, “What responsibility does the believer owe to the Mosaic Covenant?”

While the law is good (1 Tim 1:8), it is unable to justify (Gal 2:16). Under the “New Covenant,” Christ is our fulfillment of the law (Mat 5:17). Therefore, as to the question of what responsibility does the New Covenant believer owe to the Mosaic Covenant, the answer is “nothing” for the purposes of salvation (Gal 3:1-3). Some of the standards iterated from God through Moses upon Sinai were directed at the nation of Israel simply as the terms of a contract for possession of a certain portion of land. Deuteronomy 28 makes clear the stipulations of this covenant; essentially God would bless Israel for obedience by granting great prosperity in the land. but curse Israel for its disobedience with all manner of catastrophe culminating in the loss of Canaan. Despite God’s longsuffering, Israel fails to uphold her portion of the covenant and reaps the curses God promised—climaxing in the Babylonian capture in the Seventh Century B.C.

The Law (both the covenantal and the universal, Ten Commandment aspects of it) now serves to lead mankind to understand his corruption. Just as Israel, a nation born of the fruit of God’s own grace, could not stand under the righteous requirements of the Mosaic Law, neither can any man stand under the condemnation of God’s universal requirement—absolute obedience of mind and action. Paul speaks of the Law as one who leads us step by step to grace, for it points out our dire need of such (cf. Galatians 3:23ff). And having taken hold of grace by faith, the believer no longer heeds the condemning beckon of the Law (cf.Romans). So then, is there any reason to look to the Levitical laws for ethical guidance unto righteousness? No—for their service now is to guide men to Christ (Galatians 3:24).

What then? Is this freedom merely for the believing Gentile? Or does the believer of Jewish decent likewise bear this liberty? As certainly as the Jewish believer holds to Christ is his freedom from the Mosaic Law assured. The chief redemptive aspect of the Mosaic Covenant has been fulfilled by Christ. The blood of bulls and goats is useless and perfectly replaced by the sacrifice of the one Son of God Himself; to return to the Mosaic Law is to deny the sacrifice of Christ. This was the impetus driving the apostles as they stood against the Judaizers (those who were requiring believers in Christ to bear up under the Mosaic Law) proclaiming, “Beware the dogs, the evildoers, the mutilation!”

Where then do we find our Christian ethic? Quite simply, in Christ’s words: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength and you shall love your neighbor as yourself” (Mark 12:30-31). If we follow Christ’s command, we cannot break any aspect of the Ten Commandments, nor any aspect of God’s morality. And we find extrapolation of these ultimate commands in all the writings of the New Testament authors. That is our ethic—and it is borne by our faith in and love for Christ rather than from our fear of breaking the law.

Comments

  1. thank you Lord Jesus for salvation and delivering us frm the Law and giving us the grace to live a new life in You

  2. God’s Word never changes. All of God’s Word can be applied to our lives. Malachi 3:10 challenges us to prove or test God in our giving. We cannot out give God but giving is a blessing God wants us to experience. Will giving change all my external problems (remove my debts)? Yes and no. Giving changes the heart and that will change how you approach external problems (priorities). Jesus needs to be Lord of all or He is not lord at all. Finances included.

    • Can I start a Church and start collecting tithes & offerings too? Levi .. have had the COMMANDMENT.. verily (Heb.7:5) Now you should listen to a message, sermon by Dr. David Jeremiah (Turning Point), entitled “The Sermon on the Amount” and apply that sane, sound logic, principle to NT ministry and tithing, giving too. You be the judge. Verily, verily the verdict is yours! Abundance of grace and truth be with you all.
      Poor and needy one,
      mathew

  3. The Nation of Israel was given the Law as a fleshly example for us (1 Corinthian 10). The New Testament Church must learn from them, the ways of God. We are the Spiritual Church in Christ but He changes not. Christ is the fulfillment of the Law. Our goal as the is Bride adorn ourselves to be pleasing to HIM. We don’t kill animals but sacrifice ourselves daily. Our goal is to be changed into the image of Christ. Purpose for this comment… we are in the Midwest where the Churches pride their selves in being a New Testament Church Only! Merle (cbswilsey)

  4. I agree that the contemporary believer does not live under the precise rules and regulations of the Mosaic Covenant, for the reasons you mention. And the purpose of all scripture is ultimately to point us to Christ.

    But the rules of the Mosaic Covenant also point us to a coherent ethical framework for evaluating our own actions in light of God’s standards for our behavior. Paul points out, for example, that the purpose of the law is to make us aware of our own sins (Rom 7); he reminds Timothy that the scriptures are intended for instruction, correction, etc (2 Tim 3). Thus, we can look to the OT law as embodying many of the ethical and moral principles for behavior.

    These extend from the two great commandments, through the Decalogue, to the more detailed instructions applying the law to everyday life. The broader Mosaic Covenant that includes these instructions illustrate the application of the principles. We have different applications today because our culture and society differ. Thus, the principle of honoring your father and mother remains, but we no longer stone children for overt disrespect.

    Of course, the sin offerings and sacrificial system passed away with Christ’s final atoning sacrifice, but the underlying principles of the broken relationship, the need for atonement, and the overall law of sin and death still apply. Thanks be to God that Christ is our final atoning sacrifice that fills the gap between God’s expectations of holiness and my feeble attempts to attain them.

  5. This article seems to say that we are not required to keep the law, but if we follow Christ, we will keep the law. Paul said that the law was to show us that we humans could not keep it. There is no one righteous under the law. I think we should try to live by the law because Jesus has written it in our hearts. But the question between most Gentile Christians and Jewish Christians today seems to center around the Sabbath. As a Jew, Jesus kept the Sabbath and we are to be Christ-like. Most Gentile Christians worship on Sunday. I under the pagan influences in the RCC. but what did the Gentile Christians do in the first 3 centuries before the RCC took over most of the worshipers in the Roman Empire?

    • Thank you for mentioning this issue regarding the Sabbath! I am a Born-Again Believer in Yehshua, saved only by grace through His blood – and I believe as you do, that we are to walk as He walked. Our LORD and Savior is Jewish, not “Christian” as you and I would usually call ourselves – and WE have been ‘grafted’ into the pre-existing branch. The Word tells us that it is the root that supports us, not the other way around. Now I do not believe that ANYONE can perfectly “keep” the law, but I also believe that it was not the law that was nailed to the tree with our LORD, but instead the charge and penalty that we each ‘earned’ by VIOLATING the law – for the Law is GOOD! But I do not believe it was ever given for the purpose of salvation anyway, so the entire issue of “legalism” should be put aside, for that deals with the notion of salvation through works – which has nothing to do with how we are called to live as HIS People! We are already His people – already saved- so living in accordance with His law should not ever be something that we hold in view of “being saved” – but rather a heart’s desire to express our love to our Heavenly Father through obedience as it pleases Him and honors His most Holy Name!

  6. thanks for your explanation of our Lord and the law, Arnold Fruchtenbaum also gives an excellent in depth study of this subject in the book.”Israelology,May God bless your minisrty.

  7. This is one of the simplest (shortest, yet comprehensive statements on the Mosaic law, Ive read in a while. I live with constant reminders of the grave and condemning error of rejecting the sabbath. I love the Lord dearly, but going to church on Sunday and accepting the new covenant, has all but sent me to hell (if I were to believe proponents).
    Thank you for taking the time to respond,it was extremely helpful to me.

  8. I enjoyed this post very much. I would like to see more posts of this nature. I agree with everything you said, however I’m a little confused. Christ never taught about tithing then? I’ve never understood tithing as a biblical principal for Christians because I knew enough that it was an old testament practice, but I tithed because ultimately helping my church was a good thing, I felt. I would have an automatic deduction taken from my account every paycheck and it wasn’t 10%…it was much less. I wish I could afford 10% but unfortunately I’ve made some bad financial decisions in my life.

    Again, thank you for your post. Please….more educational posts like this on how we Christians need to live our lives and the confusing things in the bible that hang us up 🙂

  9. What of you were to read outside of time – In Parabolic Meaning? – to understand how Israel is used in Simile for
    a more comprehensive understanding of the Word of God!

    and thou hast been for an astonishment, for a simile, and for a byword among all the peoples whither Jehovah doth lead thee.
    Thou makest us a simile among nations, A shaking of the head among peoples.

    All these things spake Jesus in similes to the multitudes, and without a simile he was not speaking to them,
    And he saith to them, `Have ye not known this simile? and how shall ye know all the similes?
    and without a simile he was not speaking to them, and by themselves, to his disciples he was expounding all.

    Does not the Book of Enoch teach that it is an Eternal
    Law which can be intersected with the following scripture?

    I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished.

    Where you can intersect the Book of the Luminaries in Enoch with Genesis and Revelation 12 to see how the SuN and the Moon and the Stars are also used as Signs etc!

    Enoch:37. As he rises, so he sets and decreases not, and rests not, but runs day and night, and his light is sevenfold brighter than that of the moon; but as regards size they are both equal.

    And God saith, `Let luminaries (ANGELS or HOSTS) be in the expanse of the heavens, to make a separation between the day and the night, then they have been for SIGNS, and for seasons, and for days and years,

    Hmmm
    Have you been taught that a SEED of the tree can germinate on Day 3 without the “LIGHT” of the SuN on Day 4?

    Lo, I, and the children whom Jehovah hath given to me, [Are] for signs and for wonders in Israel, From Jehovah of Hosts, who is dwelling in Mount Zion.

    All i am saying is that, you might take want to take a look at the Law or Matter(s) and festivals as signs –
    this is accomplished when intersecting the root words which are in parabolic meaning when defined by the Word in order to understand Simile – Take the Word Rememberence – Did this happen or does it not speak of a future event!

    Exd 19:4, Ye — ye have seen that which I have done to the Egyptians, and I bear you on eagles’ wings, and bring you in unto Myself.

    Hmmm –
    And Jehovah saith unto Moses, `Go in unto Pharaoh, for I have declared hard his heart, and the heart of his servants, so that I set these My SIGNS in their midst,

    Ez 29:3, Speak, and thou hast said: Thus said the Lord Jehovah: Lo, I [am] against thee, Pharaoh king of Egypt! The great dragon that is crouching in the midst of his floods, Who hath said, My flood [is] my own, And I — I have made it [for] myself.

    Ez 32:2,`Son of man, lift up a lamentation for Pharaoh king of Egypt, and thou hast said unto him: A young lion of nations thou hast been like, And thou [art] as a dragon in the seas, And thou comest forth with thy flowings, And dost trouble the waters with thy feet, And thou dost foul their flowings.

    Not all Israel is Israel!

    `The day when thou hast stood before Jehovah thy God in Horeb — in Jehovah’s saying unto me, Assemble to Me the people, and I cause them to hear My words, so that they learn to fear Me all the days that they are alive on the ground, and their sons they teach; — and ye draw near and stand under the mountain, and the mountain is burning with fire unto the heart of the heavens — darkness, cloud, yea, thick darkness: `And Jehovah speaketh unto you out of the midst of the fire; a voice of words ye are hearing and a similitude ye are not seeing, only a voice; and He declareth to you His covenant, which He hath commanded you to do, the Ten Matters, and He writeth them upon two tables of stone.

    • Now,
      put this the context of Tithing outside of Time!

      There are quite as few false teachers which espouse that your tithe is something that you may use as an investment. They will even distort the parable of the Farmer who scattered SEED – which is the WORD OF GOD – as a Tithing in order to receive donations by exclaiming that you will get back 100 fold back on your investment AND trying to intersect it with Malachi 3:10, ‘Bring the whole tithe into the store-house, that there may be FOOD in My House. Test me in this,” says the Lord Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of Heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it.’

      Think – Is not The House – made up of The Vessels of The Sanctuary and/or/as The Potter! See: Secrets of Enoch 3 through 22 to have a more comprehensive understanding of the 10 Heavens. Note: SuNs Whhel which is Under the Earth to be able to intersect it with the Cherubs Wheels in Ezekiel 1/3/10.

      I have even heard them make the following statements by exclaiming that they received the Word of Lord, “If you give your SEED to us, the Lord has will forgive your whole household by covering it in the Blood of Christ” – “and you will also receive a 100-fold from your offering!“ A year later – a different guy was saying that he was receiving a lot of mail from those who haven’t received this 100 fold to which he proclaimed was because it wasn’t given in some ”spirit of …..” Sorry, I forget .. However, it is not Written, If someone claims to speak in His Name regarding something Good – and it doesn’t happen – we are told not to be fearful of him – and shouldn’t have anything to do with them — and also know that He was not sent by the Lord —

      Are we not to produce Work or Fruit – and to Store our Treasures in Heaven – where rust and moth cannot destroy — Think in Parabolic Meaning – Outside of Time – When we will Eat of Him and He will eat of our FRUIT – which is WORKS! Is not the SEED thats is Given – THE HOLY SPIRIT – which is a guarantee of your PROMISED SALVATION – which Wells up to Eternal Life? So that, when He spoke about how the Kingdom of God is WITHIN you – you may understand that we possess the SEED of the PROMISE of the REST in a Land of MILK and HONEY –

      Roman 3:16, ‘the PROMISE S were spoken to Abraham and to his SEED, the scripture does not say :
      and to SEEDS,” meaning many people, but “and to your SEED,” meaning one person, who is Christ.
      What I mean is this:
      The Law, introduced 430 years later, does not set aside the Covenant previously established.

      Caveat – Intersect the following scriptures with Ezekiel 28 to contradict the current teaching which espouses that the Garden of Eden is somewhere in SW Mesopotamia or Africa and how some exclaim the Patriarchs never entered into the Promised Rest in the Land of Milk and Honey – Nullifying His Word!

      Secrets of Enoch 8/9
      AND those men took me thence, and led me up on to the Third Heaven, and placed me there; and I looked downwards, and san the produce of these places, such as has never been known for goodness.
      2 And I saw all the sweet-flowering trees and beheld their fruits, which were sweet-smelling, and all the foods borne by them bubbling with fragrant exhalation.3 And IN THE MIDST OF THE TREES that of LIFE, in that place whereon the LORD RESTS, when He goes up into PARADISE; and this TREE is of ineffable goodness and fragrance, and adorned more than every existing thing; and on all sides it is in form gold-looking and vermilion and fire-like and covers all, and it has produce from all fruits. 4 Its root is in the GARDEN at the earth’s end. 5 And PARADISE is between corruptibility and incorruptibility. 6 And two springs come out which send forth HONEY and MILK, and their springs send forth OIL and WINE, and they separate into four parts, and go round with quiet course, and go down into THE PARADISE OF EDEN, between corruptibility and in corruptibility. 7 And thence they go forth along the earth, and have a revolution to their circle even as other elements. 8 And here there is no unfruitful tree, and every place is blessed. 9 And there are three hundred angels VERY BRIGHT, who keep the garden, and with incessant sweet singing and never-silent voices serve the Lord throughout all days and hours. 10 And I said: ‘How very sweet is this place,’ and those men said to me: THIS PLACE, O Enoch, is prepared for the righteous, who endure all manner of offence from those that exasperate their souls, who avert their eyes from iniquity, and make righteous judgement, and give bread to the hungering, and cover the naked with clothing, and raise up the fallen, and help injured orphans, and who walk without fault before the face of the Lord, and serve him alone, and for them is prepared THIS PLACE for ETERNAL INHERITANCE.

      1Adam 42,
      THEN came The Word of God to Adam, and said unto him:– 2 “O Adam, as to what thou sayest, ‘Bring me into a land where there is REST,’ it is not another land than this, But it is the Kingdom of Heaven where alone there is REST. 3 “But thou canst not make thy Entrance into it At Present; But only after thy judgment is Past and Fulfilled. 4 “Then will I make thee go up into the Kingdom of Heaven,
      thee and thy righteous seed; and I will give thee and them the Rest thou askest For At Present. 5 “And if thou saidst, ‘Give me of the Water of Life that I may drink and live’ –it cannot be this day, but on the day that I shall descend into hell, and break the gates of brass, and bruise in pieces the kingdoms of iron.
      6 “Then will I in mercy save thy soul and the souls of the righteous, to give them Rest in My Garden. And that shall be When the End of the World is come. 7 “And, again, as regards the Water of Life thou seekest, it will not be granted thee this day; but on the day that I shall shed My blood upon thy head in the land of Golgotha. 8 “For My blood shall be the Water of Life unto thee, At that time, and not to thee alone, but unto all those of thy seed who shall believe in Me; that it be unto them For Rest For Ever.”

      However, you must first understand the WORK or FRUIT of God from the following excerpts-
      John 6:29,
      Jesus answered and said to them, `This is the work of God, that ye may BELIEVE in him whom He did send.’ They said therefore to him, `What SIGN, then, dost thou, that we may see and may believe thee? what dost thou work? our fathers the manna did eat in the wilderness, according as it is having been written, Bread out of the heaven He gave them to eat.’ Jesus, therefore, said to them, `Verily, verily, I say to you, Moses did not give you the bread out of the heaven; but my Father doth give you the TRUE BREAD out of the heaven; for the bread of God is that which is coming down out of the heaven, and giving life to the world.’ John 6:47, `Verily, verily, I say to you, He who is believing in me, hath life age-during; I am the bread of the life; your fathers did eat the manna in the wilderness, and they died; “

      Now, look up the great and terrible wilderness which has burning serpents – which is Sheol – the Second Death – that Christ Jesus warned us about in Rev 2:10 and about what we are about to suffer to understand Isaiah 40 regarding the Bride, who will be paid back double for all Her sins – Which, is made up of the Vessels of the Potter that are being refined in the Iron Furnace of Egypt – to be intersected with the Captivity of Babylon – In her is the Prophets, and everyone who has ever been killed – He who is having an ear — let him hear what The Spirit Saith to the assemblies: He who is overcoming may not be injured of the second death. And it is only by our belief in Him that we may understand how we will be those who will be Raised Up on the Seventh or Last Day — Genesis 2 — to be placed in the Garden of Eden by the Eagles that are Hovering overhead – Oh, when we are in a Wilderness – Prepare ye the Way of Jehovah, Make straight in a Desert a Highway to our God – On a High Mountain get thee UP, O Zion, Proclaiming tidings, LIFT UP with power thy voice, O Jerusalem, Proclaiming tidings, LIFT UP, fear not, say to cities of Judah, `Lo, your God.’ Awake, Awake, Put on thy Strength, O Zion, Put on the Garments of thy Beauty, Jerusalem — the Holy City; For enter no more into thee again, do the uncircumcised and unclean. Shake thyself From Dust, Arise, sit, O Jerusalem, Bands of thy neck have loosed themselves, O Captive, daughter of Zion. For thus said Jehovah: `For nought ye have been sold, And not by money are ye redeemed.’

      Sounds Like you might also be able to Intersect the Vessels of the Potter Rev 2:27 — with the Promise of your being — a pillar in the sanctuary of my God Rev 3:12 – to The City of Revelation 21 -22 eh?

    • ” Harden Not. ” The Two tables are your HEART & MIND Heb.8:10 & 10:16. Behold, THIS is the covenant. Amen. Grace be with you all.
      Poor and needy one,
      mathew

  10. Here is an excerpt of an e-mail that I shared with another re the 2 covenants:

    the “old” covenant–was formed between God and Israel at Sinai, and was then ratified by the blood of a sacrifice. The Abrahamic covenant was ratified by the blood of Christ, and it is called the “second,” or “new” covenant, because the blood by which it was sealed was shed after the blood of the first covenant. That the new covenant was valid in the days of Abraham, is evident from the fact that it was then confirmed both by the promise and by the oath of God,–the “two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie.” Heb. 6:18.

    But if the Abrahamic covenant contained the promise of redemption, why was another covenant formed at Sinai?–In their bondage the people had to a great extent lost the knowledge of God and of the principles of the Abrahamic covenant. In delivering them from Egypt, God sought to reveal to them his power and his mercy, that they might be led to love and trust him. He brought them down to the Red Sea–where, pursued by the Egyptians, escape seemed impossible–that they might realize their utter helplessness, their need of divine aid; and then he wrought deliverance for them. Thus they were filled with love and gratitude to God, and with confidence in his power to help them. He had bound them to himself as their deliverer from temporal bondage.

    But there was a still greater truth to be impressed upon their minds. Living in the midst of idolatry and corruption, they had no true conception of the holiness of God, of the exceeding sinfulness of their own hearts, their utter inability, in themselves, to render obedience to God’s law, and their need of a Saviour. All this they must be taught.

    God brought them to Sinai; he manifested his glory; he gave them his law, with the promise of great blessings on condition of obedience: “If ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then . . . ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation.” Ex. 19:5, 6. The people did not realize the sinfulness of their own hearts, and that without Christ it was impossible for them to keep God’s law; and they readily entered into covenant with God. Feeling that they were able to establish their own righteousness, they declared, “All that the Lord hath said will we do, and be obedient.” Ex. 24:7. …yet only a few weeks passed before they broke their covenant with God, and bowed down to worship a graven image. They could not hope for the favor of God through a covenant which they had broken; and now, seeing their sinfulness and their need of pardon, they were brought to feel their need of the Saviour revealed in the Abrahamic covenant, and shadowed forth in the sacrificial offerings. Now by faith and love they were bound to God as their deliverer from the bondage of sin. Now they were prepared to appreciate the blessings of the new covenant.

    The terms of the “old covenant” were, Obey and live: “If a man do, he shall even live in them” (Eze. 20:11; Lev. 18:5); but “cursed be he that confirmeth not all the words of this law to do them.” Deut. 27:26. The “new covenant” was established upon “better promises,”–the promise of forgiveness of sins, and of the grace of God to renew the heart, and bring it into harmony with the principles of God’s law. “This shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel: After those days, saith the Lord, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts. . . . I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.” Jer. 31:33, 34.

    The same law that was engraved upon the tables of stone, is written by the Holy Spirit upon the tables of the heart. Instead of going about to establish our own righteousness, we accept the righteousness of Christ. His blood atones for our sins. His obedience is accepted for us. Then the heart renewed by the Holy Spirit will bring forth “the fruits of the Spirit.” Through the grace of Christ we shall live in obedience to the law of God written upon our hearts. Having the Spirit of Christ, we shall walk even as he walked. Through the prophet he declared of himself, “I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart.” Ps. 40:8. And when among men he said, “The Father hath not left me alone; for I do always those things that please him.” John 8:29.

    The apostle Paul clearly presents the relation between faith and the law under the new covenant. He says, “Being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” “Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid; yea, we establish the law.” “For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh,”–it could not justify man, because in his sinful nature he could not keep the law,–“God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: that the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.” Rom. 5:1; 3:31; 8:3, 4.

    God’s work is the same in all time, although there are different degrees of development, and different manifestations of his power, to meet the wants of men in the different ages. Beginning with the first gospel promise, and coming down through the patriarchal and Jewish ages, and even to the present time, there has been a gradual unfolding of the purposes of God in the plan of redemption. The Saviour typified in the rites and ceremonies of the Jewish law is the very same that is revealed in the gospel. The clouds that enveloped his divine form have rolled back; the mists and shades have disappeared; and Jesus, the world’s Redeemer, stands revealed. He who proclaimed the law from Sinai, and delivered to Moses the precepts of the ritual law, is the same that spoke the sermon on the mount. The great principles of love to God, which he set forth as the foundation of the law and the prophets, are only a reiteration of what he had spoken through Moses to the Hebrew people: “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord: and thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.” “Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.” Deut. 6:4, 5; Lev. 19:18. The teacher is the same in both dispensations. God’s claims are the same. The principles of his government are the same. For all proceed from him “with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.” James 1:17.–“

  11. Men must be ruled! But this is no problem for a Christian, he is already following a higher law, “The law of Christ”.

    • Yes, brother, Ten was sublimated, enriched ( like Uranium enrichment!) into Two and then Two into One – the Holy One! I can only imagine the PRECISION and the POWER of that One. But remember LOVE has TWO bodyguards – 1) knowledge, 2) judgment (Phi.1:9). Sadly, these are the days when bodyguards shoot down bodies! But not here. Amen. Grace be with you all
      Poor and needy one,
      mathew

      • Well done! Note the Triple “rule over” in Heb.13 ! Small Paul sets and speaks about RULE . Then only we can rule in the midst of our enemies. We are like LOCUSTs (Pro.30:27). The annointing teaches (1Jn.2:27; Heb.8:11). Thank you. Grace be with you.
        Poor and needy one,
        mathew

  12. Amen, this confirms my recent study and reading of Galations 4

    21 thru 26 Tell me, ye that desire to be under the law, do ye not hear the law?

    Gal 4:22 For it is written, that Abraham had two sons, the one by a bondmaid, the other by a freewoman.

    Gal 4:23 But he [who was] of the bondwoman was born after the flesh; but he of the freewoman [was] by promise.

    Gal 4:24 Which things are an allegory: for these are the two covenants; the one from the mount Sinai, which gendereth to bondage, which is Agar.

    Gal 4:25 For this Agar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and answereth to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children.

    Gal 4:26 But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all.

  13. To the author of this work, thank you. You gave a clear, concise dissertation on the place and purpose of the law and I commend you.
    For the Believer, grace, not law, is the compelling instrument in guiding our behavior. Authentic grace leads not to license. Once the Christian begins to truly grasp the extremity and extravagance of God’s grace, that revelation alone is more than sufficient to govern our lives. The law has no place in the New Testament church except to compel the non-believer of their desperate need for Christ.

    • Who is this Melchisedec?
      What is The Ministry after the Order, ( manner, manner of the King), of Melchisedec? This seems to be the NT Standard, Global Standard. Sub-standard, Non-standards are abomination (Pro.11:1). What do you say? Grace be with you all.
      Poor and needy one,
      mathew

  14. Hello, i can say that some of these post i enjoy thoroughly. To me i like how these post seem so academically written and clear logical thought processes that the study lies upon. It is always informative, and helpfull to the Christain community. Thank you very much for the hard work that you put into studying and clarifying of such scriptures and explaning it to the others, as i was reading revelations I realized that God give a complete description of Himself to us but when writing the letters to the churches sent part of His full nature. I believe it is our duty as fellow Christians to pool together what we all recieve from God and in return edify this body which we are a part of. Your contributions to my life has been gratefully accepted.

  15. Hello, i can say that some of these post i enjoy thoroughly. To me i like how these post seem so academically written and clear logical thought processes that the study lies upon. It is always informative, and helpfull to the Christain community. Thank you very much for the hard work that you put into studying and clarifying of such scriptures and explaning it to the others, as i was reading revelations I realized that God give a complete description of Himself to us but when writing the letters to the churches sent part of His full nature. I believe it is our duty as fellow Christians to pool together what we all recieve from God and in return edify this body which we are a part of. Your contributions to my life has been gratefully accepted.

  16. ALL religions are of man, ALL are. Only the WORD is of the Father…

    All followers of religion are betrayed in some way, lead astray by their shepherds…

    And this leading astary starts in Genesis…

    Am I allowed to post a link to this little basic study that I posted on Youtube :
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qLk5lNUPtNI ?

    Also available in Spanish.

    Think about it. Meditate on it. Remember it.
    And may the Blessing of the Father come to all of you, at His appointed times…

    Amen.
    Patrick

    • Why did Jesus heal on Sabbath?
      Is small Paul contradicting Jesus, when he says, ” Which are a SHADOW…(Col.2:17-18). Puffed up bubble guppies-christians cannot comprehend this even though God in his mercy has profusely given us the TOOLS,(BLB for one!)) instruments of prehension!
      Sadder still, we cannot apprehend HIM like the scribes, elders and chief priests with our SWORDS, STAVES,LANTERNS & TORCHES; WE HAVE TO DO IT THE small Paul way. Your U-tube “torch” is wonderful, but.. strive lawfully (2Tim.2:4-5). Wicked, lawless hands kill him even today (Acts.2:23; John.8:37).Now we live by the perfect law of liberty. For us every day, moment is holy- holiness is the law.
      “Do thy diligence to come shortly unto me” (2Tim.4:9). Come up hither. Catch Paul if you can. He is the PATTERN. Grace be with you all.
      Poor and needy one,
      mathew

      • When morning breaks
        And SHADOWs flee away,
        Jesus the the King of Glory
        Shall appear..
        Who in the world needs shadow when the real SUBSTANCE has appeared? Faith Is the substance; hence the 4-times repeated “Now the just shall live by faith, .for whatsoever is not of faith is sin.
        Grace be with you all.
        Poor and needy one,
        mathew

      • >Why did Jesus heal on Sabbath?

        Could it be that He just loved his neighbor as himself? Even on Shabbat!

        He told us in a few places to do so, such as in Mat 22:39.
        Although this isn’t new as he took this right out from Lev 19:18.

        After all He and the Father are ONE (John 10:30).

        So think about it that maybe He was not really opposing to remember to keep the Shabbat Holy but pointing out to the Pharisees that their behavior was not right.

  17. I’m sorry, I must be misunderstanding what you are saying. Your article seems to come from the Hellenistic idea that discusses the “curse of the Torah” and dismisses the duality of it.

    Paul was a born Jew, lived as a Jew and died a Jew, fully following the Torah, not as a way of salvation, but unto holiness.

    I also missed your explanation of celebrating the Feasts, including the Sabbath?

  18. Let’s consider the view of Jesus on this…

    First let’s agree that Jesus is the word of God. Jesus is the creator. Jesus is the savior. Jesus is God.

    Well… that means He is the One that breathed life into Adam, He is the ship designer that taught Noah, the smoking fire that promised Abraham His covenant, the wrestler that renamed Jacob, and cloud of fire on Mount Sinai that taught His people Israel and the strangers with them His way of living, “the way”.

    Let’s see, He spoke Hebrew and the word “law” doesn’t even exist in Scripture, instead we find the word Torah which means teaching and instruction.

    Hum… If you think about it, would Jesus, who is God, who is unchanging, label His Word in this way? His answer to this: “I am the LORD, I change not.” Malachi 3:6

    Let’s consider this Psalm: “Let my prayer be set forth before thee [as] incense; [and] the lifting up of my hands [as] the evening sacrifice.” Psalm 141:2

    Wait a minute… this Psalm says prayer is incense and lifting hands a sacrifice… Weren’t “sacrifices” bulls and goats required to take away sin in the “Old Testament”? Not according to Hebrews 10:4:

    “For [it is] not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins.”

    The subject matter of the altar offerings and sacrifices of ancient Israel is critical today to our understanding of God’s covenant (unchanging promise) for atonement, redemption, salvation and eternal life.

    So let’s review the message that Scripture gives us. But first ask yourself: is this next verse regarding an altar offering from the so-called Old Testament or from the New?

    “But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother shall be guilty before the court; and whoever says to his brother, ‘You good-for-nothing,’ shall be guilty before the supreme court; and whoever says, ‘You fool,’ shall be guilty enough to go into the fiery hell.

    “Therefore if you are presenting your offering at the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your offering there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother, and then come and present your offering. “

    Hum… this verse gives instruction about reconciliation before presenting an altar offering if the offender is making an offering at the altar of God, so this verse must certainly be from the Old Testament and from the words of Moses right?

    There is no way Jesus would say this as an instruction, after all He came to do away with the altar and the law didn’t He?

    Well let’s read the words of Jesus.

    The following admonition immediately precedes the altar offering instruction you have just read:

    “Do not think that I came to abolish the Law {Torah} or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill. For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the Law until all is accomplished.

    Whoever then annuls one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever keeps and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.”

    Recognize them now?

    They are right out of Matthew chapter five. Yes Matthew! All of these are the words of Jesus the Messiah, The unchanging God.

    The last time I looked, the last time I took a breath of air, heaven and earth are still here so every word, every letter written in the teaching and instruction manual Jesus gave Israel and the strangers sojourning with them out of Egypt is not annulled, but intact and full of meaning for us to study today so we can show Him our love.

    True… just as the word of God plainly says, much of the instruction in the wilderness is for the Levite priesthood, much is only for those living in the Promised Land, The Kingdom of God.

    Jesus, I mean God gave us an amazing explanation in His word as to why He gave all the unusual instructions for sacrifice to the Levites, but no one really studies it:

    “And I have given the Levites [as] a gift to Aaron and to his sons from among the children of Israel, to do the service of the children of Israel in the tabernacle of the congregation, and to make an atonement [covering] for the children of Israel: that there be no plague among the children of Israel, when the children of Israel come nigh unto the sanctuary.” Numbers 8:19

    What, no plague is the reason God, the reason Jesus gave???

    Wow. That must mean that to comprehend the omnipotent, all powerful, pre-incarnate Jesus as the creator, we have to consider His cloud of Glory.

    To consider the deadly “plague” near the sanctuary, we need to know why obedience to God’s voice and the services of the Levites could prevent it. To understand that we just need to realize that Almighty God, that Jesus is the Creator of the sun, the stars, the galaxies and nebula, even the black holes, binary stars, pulsars, quasars and supernovae of the unending universe that emit cosmic rays, gamma rays, X-rays, UV rays, visible light and radio waves and He gave the instruction for protection.

    He is the Creator of the creative forces of fission and fusion, and of solar wind, electromagnetism and plasma. Jesus our God is the Creator of electrons, neutrons, photons, neutrinos and anti-neutrinos, the Creator of mass, matter and anti-matter, of things seen and unseen like the filaments of dark matter.

    Before He came in the flesh as a man, to be near Him was dangerous unless one followed His instruction for a near approach. Gosh that even gives more meaning for the fear of The Lord. The power, glory and majesty of God are far beyond our comprehension. He commands the presence of the giant supernovae stars. And that glory that was so dangerous in the wilderness is returning.

    “And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory” Matthew 24:30

    The Temple is gone so we cannot take an offering to the altar, but we need to keep the heart message of Jesus’ instruction as we can and teach them. We need to know that includes the entire Bible and yes believe it or not He is still Lord of the Sabbath. He said it was an eternal sign for those that follow Him. No wonder it is the longest commandment.

    His is still the one that gave us the instruction for His seven appointments with mankind. Some call them Jewish feasts, but although He came into the world as a Jew, He never called them that because when the Hebrew is translated directly He calls them the appointments of The LORD.

    He has already been here and kept His appointed days of Passover at the cross, Unleavened Bread in the grave, First fruits in resurrection and Pentecost by giving His Spirit.

    Next up is His appointment for the day of His Return with Trumpets, the day of His Judgment and Atonement and His millennium day of Tabernacles.

    The truth is we should consider and wonder in awe and fear at all possible aspects of Almighty God, the One called Jesus.

    For I do not want you to be unaware, brethren, that our fathers were all under the cloud and all passed through the sea; and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud. and in the sea; and all ate the same spiritual food; and all drank the same spiritual drink, for they were drinking from a spiritual rock which followed them; and THE ROCK WAS CHRIST. 1Corinthians 10:1-4

    And Messiah was received back into the cloud at His ascension:

    And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight. Acts 1:9

    He is returning in the same cloud seen at the Mount of Olives and atop Mount Sinai:

    And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring; Men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken. And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. Luke 21:25-27

    And I saw another mighty angel come down from heaven, clothed with a cloud: and a rainbow [was] upon his head, and his face [was] as it were the sun, and his feet as pillars of fire: Revelation 10:1

    Get ready – Our King is coming!

    As we consider His glory we must know that we need to turn from our sin so we may approach and walk near to Him in love and in His instruction.

    Here is a call for the endurance of the saints, those who keep the commandments of God and their faith in Jesus. Revelation 14:12

  19. Hebrews 5:8 Though He were a son yet learned HE obedience by the things which HE suffered

    Hebrews 5:9 And being made perfect HE became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey HIM

    1 Timothy 1:9 Knowing this that the law is not made for a righteous man but for the lawless and disobedient for the ungodly and for sinners for unholy and profane for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers for manslayers…….

    2 Timothy 3:1 This know also that in the last days perilous times shall come

    2 Timothy 3:2 For men shall be lovers of their own selves covetous boasters proud blasphemers disobedient to parents unthankful unholy

    Mark 8:35 For who so ever will save his life shall lose it but who so ever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospels the same shall save it

    Matthew 7:14 Because straight is the gate and narrow is the way which leadeth unto life and few there be that find it

    Matthew 22:14 For many are called but few are chosen

    Ephesians 4:28 Let him that stole steal no more but rather let him labor working with his hands the thing which is good that he may have to give to him that needeth

    2 Corinthians 8:13 For I mean not that other men be eased and you burdened

    2 Corinthians 8:14 But by an equality that now at this time your abundance may be a supply for their want that their abundance also may be a supply for your want that there may be equality

    Matthew 25: 44-46 Then shall they also answer him saying LORD when saw we thee an hungered or athirst or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison and did not minister unto thee (45) Then shall HE answer them saying verily I say unto you in as much as you did it not to one of the least of these you did it not unto ME (46) And these shall go away into everlasting punishment but the righteous into life eternal

    Loving the LORD JESUS

  20. Wonderful article! Your comment: “While the law is good (1 Tim 1:8), it is unable to justify (Gal 2:16). Under the “New Covenant,” Christ IS our fulfillment of the law (Mat 5:17). Therefore, as to the question of what responsibility does the New Covenant believer owe to the Mosaic Covenant, the answer is “nothing” for the “PURPOSES OF SALVATION” (Gal 3:1-3)” …. is absolutely correct since Jesus (Yeshua-His name in Hebrew)is the final blood sacrifice for the atoning of our sins. And your comment: “Quite simply, in Christ’s words: “You shall LOVE the Lord your God with ALL your heart, with ALL your soul, with ALL your mind, and with ALL your strength and you shall LOVE your neighbor as yourself” (Mark 12:30-31)”…. is what a child of our heavenly Father will automatically do and want to do because we soooooo want to please Him out of our love FOR Him! Will we sometimes fall because of our own choices? Yes! Will He lift us up after we repent? Most definitely! It’s a LOVE relationship just like when your child falls or makes mistakes and you, as a loving parent, will pick up, correct and “train” them in the way they should go BECAUSE you love them. And that’s exactly what OUR Father does for us because He LOVES us so much to want to teach, correct and sometimes discipline! Since we are made in HIS image we follow His ways and every loving father would correct their child, would set them on the path to self-control, would show them right from wrong so they CAN live in love, joy, peace, etc … and a right mind (not wrong minded). And my final thoughts on your comment: “That is our ethic—and it is borne by our faith in and love FOR Christ rather than from our FEAR of breaking the law” …… is sooooo vitally important to understand. We might choose to sacrifice certain things in our lives or choose not to do certain traditions even when it is against the norm of society or within our own families only because of our love FOR Him and not because it brings us into a better relationship with our Father or purify’s us more. NO, that would be considered “works” which is what our Savior and Messiah freed everyone from when He chose to die for us! So properly understanding the covenants and their importance is clearly said in Matthew 5:17 when Jesus said, “DO NOT think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have NOT come to abolish them but to fulfill them.”

    May “The LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you; the LORD turn his face toward you and give you peace.” Num 6:24-26

    • Thank you for such a wonderful, precious article. The service of the Levitical laws is to guide me to Christ. Praise God for Christ! our Savior!

  21. Teachers normally begin their classes with Previous Knowledge Testing, brushing, then go on to Motivation, where they somehow create the thirst, felt need for the day’s lesson in the learners, then Today’s Lesson, line upon line, precept upon precept (Isa.28:10-12). The law is the schoolmaster. Small Paul is the PATTERN (1Tim.1:16) ” See, saith he, that thou make ALL things according to the PATTERN shewed to thee in the mount” the mountain of his holiness! Read Hebrews again and again.. until you get it & mount UP with wings as eagles. Abundance of grace, peace 7 truth be with you all.
    Poor and needy one,
    mathew

  23. The Words of Christ:

    Mat 5:17 ¶ Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.

    Mat 5:18 For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. [Comment:Heaven and Earth are still here]

    Mat 5:19 Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach [them], the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

    Mat 5:20 For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed [the righteousness] of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.

    These are Christ’s words as outlined in the Blue Letter Bible. They were once quoted by a Jewish schoolmate who told me that her mother showed her these verses and stated that Christianity is a fraud since Christians do not follow Christ’s words and exploit His Atoning Sacrifice as justification for their malevolent and willful sins. Simply saying that one believes is insufficient. There should be some evidence of one’s faith. How can we share Christ’s message with others, the Hebrew, the Islamist, the Hindu, or the Buddist if we do not know it and follow it ourselves? 2 Timothy 2:15 says that we should rightly divide the Word of God. Ironically, one of the scriptures which the author of this article chose is a physical neighbor of the verses which I quoted.

    As Christ states, the Law has its purpose and should be followed when possible. When following the Law is outside of our power, we sin in ignorance not knowing the Law, or have developed an addictive and sinful habit before accepting Christ as our Savior, we can accept the Redemptive Power of His Sacrifice. God grants us grace and mercy in these situations and can free us from any sin if we dilligently seek Him above all other things. When we sin willfully, knowing the law and its consequences, God offers us time for repentance, changing the ungodly direction in which we are heading. Consider the Jezebel of the church of Thyatira in Revelations 2:18-25. She was a false prophetess of the early church who had poisoned and corrupted one the pillar churches of early Christianity with a permissive doctrine on fornication. Yet, Christ said that He would forgive her and she would be saved if she changed her ways and fell in line with the teachings in His Word. She was obstinate and incorrigable until the end. You can read of her fate.

    Its is God’s Will that we all be saved through repentance. The currently popular teaching that the Law is simply unnecessary “legalism” and “religiousity” is something that intices itching ears and is dangerous. Many modern Christians have developed a number of dangerous sinful addictions as a result of how they’ve interpreted this teaching which is derived from Paul’s epistles. Christ said that self-professed teachers of His word would exploit these “itching ears” in latter days not heeding Paul’s admonishment that they would judged more severely for mistakes. Consider James 3:1, “My brethren, be not many masters, knowing that we shall recieve that greater condemnation” The NIV reads slightly differently, yet an instructor is responsible for the effects of his teachings.

    The example Christ gave us was that we should have mercy when another sins and gently guide them in the proper direction. Paul emphasized this in Ephesians 6:1-10. If you have overcome alcohol or fornication, help your brethren were they might be weak. If you have a weakness, find someone who has overcome that problem through scripture and ask them for guidance. Judge not; lest thou be judged by the same measure; Mercy is better than sacrifice; We should help one another when a brother desires a change; As iron sharpens iron; one man sharpens another; The Blue Letter Bible is a wonderful resource! Scripture is a means of personal and community reformation if one accepts the reproof. And a wise man will always accept a Godly rebuke. A fool requires a few thousand lashes before they repent; if they do not remain obstinate. Consider King David and his sin. He immediately repented when confronted by Nathan and has been chronicled in scripture as a man after God’s own heart. Following as much of the Law as one is able with all honesty while showing mercy upon your brothers is not that difficult of a commandment. For one, this practice brings about life and life more abundantly and is consistent with Christ Words.

    Start by following a simple one. Do not covet your neighbor possessions. You will only be frustrated and miss seeing the blessings which God has placed in your life if you are always focused on the material blessing God has provided for others. Do not eat pork. Must you wait until your physician tells you that you have heart disease or high blood pressure before you stop? Beside it carries a very unhealthy parasites called Trichinella and can cause a disease called Trichinellosis which is very unpleasant. Do you know if that deli ham was properly cooked? There is wisdom and life in the Law when viewed under the lens of Christ’s Atoning Sacrifice. Slowly add more Laws as you become stronger and more mature. You will be amazed at what God can do in your life and how it will change. It changed mine.

  24. Hmmm , what shall I say , from Jewish point of view, your jesus was a man who lived the law, the jewish law that is , he was a jew, and that in my opion has been forgotten , to me he is not G-D nor the messiah, but a very good rabbi :), his teaching are Jewish not christian, and boy did he teach , you have westernised him to fit into your world and into your way of thinking , but there you go , I don’t hate christians , what hurts me is that you made him a G-D , there is only ONE G-D , I live a very fulfilled jewish life and I’m proud of who I am

    • One size fits ALL – John 3:16 !!
      And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God. John 20:28
      Abundance of grace be upon you.
      Poor and needy one,
      mathew

    • Acts.9:22
      Sister, the stakes are much higher. Even the Atheists, Terrorists are leading a very fulfilled life. But for us it is Heaven or Hell. Even in Heaven there are many places. Even my computer spurs me on: it informs me ‘UPGRADE” is available, new app is available. So please consider. Grace be with you.
      Poor and needy one,
      mathew

    • Shalom, Hadassa!
      I am so thrilled to see a Jewish person reading this article especially one who is so proud of their rich heritage. I’m also very impressed with you for checking out the Blue Letter Bible website since you are Jewish AND that you have obviously read some of the New Testament to form a wonderful opinion about Jesus. I wanted to reply to a couple of your comments. 🙂 I agree with you 100% that Jesus was Jewish because He most definitely was! He, indeed, lived by the Law (what we know as the Old Testament)and most definitely is NOT a Christian! Anyone telling you differently does not know Scripture. (Since I am replying in an open forum on a Christian based website, I need to clarify some things first to those reading my comment since I am assuming most of them are Christians so it may help them understand my reply to you.) The word Christ is Greek for Messiah/Savior so Jesus, being Jewish, would have “never” called himself a Greek title (a Christian) and would have never taught “Christianity”, either, since this name was given to His followers many years later. What Jesus (Yeshua is His Hebrew name) did teach was Judaism which also was taught to Him from the Rabbi’s, going to Temple, hearing and reading Scripture written by Moses and the prophets like Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Zechariah, etc… and of course, G-D’s own spirit. Our roots in Christianity IS Judaism and many Christians have forgotten that as Hadassa said or they have never been taught this, unfortunately. For those who truly accept Jesus as the Savior of the world must also accept Jesus as the JEWISH Messiah because they go hand-in-hand. The first 5 books (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy) of the Bible is called the Torah in Judaism. Torah means: Instruction, Teaching – so every time we hear anyone, usually a Jewish person, talking about the Torah then we know they are talking about the first 5 books of the Old Testament. We, Gentiles (a non-Jewish person), have MUCH to be thankful for to the Jewish nation because our belief is most definitely in their Jewish roots. I pray G-D will open your hearts to this truth. Also, out of respect for Hadassa, I will spell G-D and L-RD this way because as a believer in Jesus, we are told not to offend others and to keep peace plus I’m planting a seed here. 🙂 Remember who WE are in Christ (Messiah/Savior)!! OK, back to my conversation with you, Hadassa – Yes, Jesus was a “very good Rabbi” (“Teacher” in Hebrew for my Gentile, non-Jewish readers) as you stated but I will actually say He was MORE than just a very good Rabbi but was actually a very AMAZING Rabbi!! His deep love, care and concern to bring peoples hearts back to loving each other, repentance and G-D was amazing! Jesus (“Yeshua” in Hebrew – remember this is for the Gentile readers :-)) was teaching the people another side to G-D by telling them in story form (parables as we call it) how we each should be concerned with one another as G-D is concerned about them which up to that point the L-RD was seen as stern, harsh and strict in the peoples eyes. He taught them how G-D was forgiving, loving, generous and that we should follow this pattern of treatment to all people whether Jew or Gentile because ultimately, G-D IS love and we are to pattern that same love since we are made in His image. I felt the depth of your pain when you said, “Christians have made Jesus a G-D” since your beautiful deep Jewish roots and heritage have taught you there is only one G-D which we all know is the G-D of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob! I admire and honor you for your deep love for G-D and I understand your feelings of NOT wanting someone to take HIS/G-D’s place. We, as Christians, are not saying Jesus is “taking” G-D’s place….NO, definitely not!! But what we ARE saying is that Jesus/Yeshua IS the Messiah/Savior who comes through the Jewish line and was prophesied by the Jewish prophets as the one who would be sacrificed for all people and that His shed blood would atone for their sins so they could be in the presence of Almighty G-D. You know this practice already through Passover. As a Jewish person, you have been taught the wonderful details of how G-D was about to bring the Israelites out of Egypt and head toward a new land, in essence a NEW LIFE. BUT G-D needed to first have your people, His people, cleansed and protected by the “blood” of a perfect, non-blemished sacrificial lamb which He told them to cover their doorposts with so the angel of death would pass over their house (thus, we get the name Passover). This blood covering would protect those within that house from G-D’s wrath and allowed them to leave their life of bondage the moment the angel of death passed over their house since they were protected by the blood of the lamb and not killed. Passover brought people from death’s doors into a redeemed new life. We, as believers in the Jewish Messiah (Christians), should in reality be celebrating Passover because it is the EXACT representation of what Jesus/Yeshua did for us and all those who see Him as their Savior and the Savior of the World. He was born only to be sacrificed for all people, used by G-D to be that non-blemished lamb led to be slaughtered, killed so His blood would atone for us as the blood did over the house which those who believed would put over their doorpost to claim themselves as His. WE, our bodies, represent that same type of house with Jesus’ blood covering us as did the lamb’s blood on the doorposts once we come to faith to the fact and realization that Jesus/Yeshua IS that same representation and IS the FINAL atonement/sacrifice. I’ll say that again: NO lamb needs to ever be sacrificed anymore because JESUS IS the FINAL Lamb that G-D sacrificed – for you….for me….for everyone!! ALL the prophets prophesied about Jesus/Yeshua, the JEWISH MESSIAH, and we who have accepted the JEWISH MESSIAH have now a love for the Jewish people that no other group on the face of this earth can have or even understand. We, Gentiles, now believe in the G-D of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and without Jesus and accepting HIM as the promised Messiah, you would just be an ordinary Jewish person to me BUT because of Yeshua, I have a love for you that only G-D can knit into my heart since I now, through faith in your Jewish Messiah which is now MY Jewish Messiah, have been grafted into His lineage who is also from the lineage of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob!! 🙂 Praise be to G-D/HaShem!! I pray I have said this in a manner that makes sense to you. I pray that you will keep reading and searching about this Jesus/Yeshua. I pray you will one day SEE with your heart AND mind how much G-D loves you and sent Yeshua to be that final blood offering/covering to redeem YOU!!! I pray you will see that both Jew and Gentile can be ONE in the Jewish Messiah, as well. I pray that you will have a new understanding for Christians, for the believers who truly love and honor and obey the Scriptures! After reading my comment, go read Isaiah (a great prophet, by the way!!) Isaiah 52:13 through Isaiah 53:12 and see Yeshua on those pages!! One of my FAVORITE Scriptures that Aaron spoke over the Israelites I pray over you, Hadassa: Numbers 6:24-26 “The LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you; the LORD turn his face toward you and give you peace.” SHALOM!

      • Thank you .last Sunday our pastor concluded his sermon with a rather melodramatic story of Melissa and her two year old daughter Angie lost in the market place.Jews and Gentiles are one and the same spiritually. Maybe we are like the prodigal son and the elder brother in the story of the Prodigal Father. His love is so extravagant, His heart is so elastic that he can do a short work of our blemishes and bring the cosmic drama to its planned glorious finale for his name’s sake. Amen
        Sister, consider our fingers ( mine and Shireen’s) as God’s fingers nudging you, chasing you! Grace be with you all.
        Poor and needy one,
        mathew

    • Thank you for your comment on this blog. I’m new to this blog and was scrolling thru the comments and saw yours. I wish more Christians could understand what you just wrote. It speaks volumes. You are so right. We have turned Yeshua into someone unrecognizable and have stripped Him of nearly all his Jewish identity. I wish I could beg forgiveness for this on behalf of many. Please know I am studying more and understanding Yeshua in the proper context and culture and a Jewish point of view. I have much to learn. I’m glad you do not hate Christians. Be encouraged… I see changes currently happening where more and more Christians are starting to recognize Yeshua and are coming to realize your accurate depiction of our current state. Please be patient with us. I pray that you too will seek and look at Biblical proof that Yeshua was in fact the Messiah. Together (when we teach each other) Amazing things can happen.
      Warmest Regards,
      Joy B

  25. Romans 6:15-What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid.

    1 John 3:4-Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.

    The laws still do apply. The sacrificial law was fulfilled being what sacrifice could overpower the Messiahs.

  26. I really enjoyed reading everyone’s post and in fact I have learned a few things and have come to see certain Scriptures in a new light by the detailed post of some. However, I would like to add to the topic by keeping my statement simple. Out of the entire written word of God that was penned by man, ONLY the Ten Commandments were initially written with the very fingers of the Lord. Scripture tells us that He wrote them on the two tablets of stone. Moses as we know broke them in his righteous anger against the nation of Israel after hearing them singing, worshipping, committing a blasphemous act in the idolatrous worship to the golden bull or calf at the bottom of the mountain. Even though the Ten Commandments were re-written by Moses when he wrote the Torah, and even though the Ten Commandments are included in what is known as the Books of the Law, Torah, or the Pentateuch – we know that what is unique about the Ten Commandments is that it is the ONLY part of the Torah that came directly from God’s own voice and written with His own hand. Why is this important, because I believe a lot of confusion is wrapped around the word “Law”. To keep my point simple Christ came to fulfill the Law, and the whole time Christ walked the earth He submitted to the Father and healed the sick, gave to the poor, and rebuked religious dead acts (legalism used by hard-hearted men as means of controlling the flocks of people rather than love).
    Matthew 23:1-4
    23 Then Jesus spoke to the multitudes and to His disciples, 2 saying: “The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. 3 Therefore whatever they tell you to observe,[a] that observe and do, but do not do according to their works; for they say, and do not do. 4 For they bind heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on men’s shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers. 5 But all their works they do to be seen by men.

    What the religious leaders did in dealing with people and God knowing the Law was totally opposite of what Jesus did as He was fulfilling the Law. There is no difference between Old Covenant and New when it comes to the Ten Commandment because the Ten Commandments were really written to expose the heart of man. It is the heart of man that God is after, not the doing just because the letter says so. God was after the heart in the Old Covenant and He is still after the heart in the New Covenant. The letter was just the means to communicate the sin of man. But when Christ died on the cross or the execution stick, later sending the Holy Spirit among men, there was a heart transplant for those who received.

    Concerning the Spirit Jesus tells Nicodemus in John 3:5-8:
    5 Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ 8 The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.”

    But the topic stated is do the Ten Commandments applies to today’s believers. The answer is YES 100%!!!! When we look at the two greatest commandments the Word tells us this:
    Matthew 22 :34-40
    34 But when the Pharisees heard that He had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together. 35 Then one of them, a lawyer, asked Him a question, testing Him, and saying, 36 “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?”
    37 Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’[d] 38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’[e] 40 On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.”
    Now what is the Significance of Jesus stating that “On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets. Well the Law (all was symbolic some sort of way or another on the person, holiness, righteousness of the Coming One) was a form of God’s righteousness and holiness. The Prophets all were the spokes-person that informed the people of what God had to say, and to pronounce the Coming Messiah. Jesus now sharing the two greatest commandments that He came to fulfill, hung on his righteousness (being able to do all Ten Commandments without missing a beat) and to bring to pass what was proclaimed of Him by the prophets. But it was the religious leaders who knew the Law who tested Christ with the question.
    So what is the big confusion of this Law and its application to today’s believers? In the Old Covenant the Ten Commandment told what “not” to do. And in the New Testament we have “liberty”. This “liberty in its true application is in Christ as he frees us from the bondage of sin. This freedom from sin’s stronghold is the liberty or freedom that we have because we are no longer in chains of the Kingdom of darkness. So back to the Ten Commandments and today’s believers; Jesus was telling religious folks that LOVE is in the heart. Here it is simply put:
    The first three commandments of the Ten Commandments is Loving God with all our hearts, soul, and mind.
    If one loves God he/she will have no other gods, because to do that is to cheat on God making Him jealous just as a husband would be if his wife was loving another man in was she shouldn’t be. This goes both ways.
    If one loves God with all his heart he/she would not bow to a dead god while in love with the One who is alive and gives life. Also if one loves God with all his heart then they would not take their Lord’s name that they love in vain because He has done so much for us to redeem us from death. This is why David was offended when the uncircumcised Philistine was blaspheming against his God while everyone else was just standing around.
    The remaining seven commandments are to love your neighbor as yourself.
    Loving your neighbor like yourself means that you will understand that their life is precious. You will not kill them. Then you will not hate them which is just as bad as murder because this is the opposite of the heart of God. Loving your neighbor will keep one from sleeping with another person’s spouse because of understanding how it feels if someone is sleeping with their spouse. This hurts and does not love. The same is with the rest of the commandments. As far as the Sabbath; Jesus stated that the Sabbath was made for man and not man for the Sabbath. God made this day to rest, but it is also the time to help others. This is also a time for masters to give time to their slaves to spend with the Lord. The Sabbath was never meant for a day of legalism. Therefore the love for ones neighbor will allow masters to give a day of rest to their slaves, and also help those who are in need on that day instead of just caring for property that will bring money to oneself.
    So the Ten Commandments was hard to do because the heart of the people was not for God, instead they went after the gods of the culture. Jesus fulfills the Law by always doing the will of the Father and not of Himself. He also fulfill the Law by healing the sick, giving to those who were hungry, and rebuking those who was handicapping the people.
    In the New Covenant instead of telling what “not” to do, we now automatically do because of free will concerning the heart because of the Spirit within us. This is why Jesus states “If you love me, keep my Commandments”. These are the brides of Christ; people who loves Him, not followers of rules. The world is trying to make the Ten Commandments look like rules. This is the same deception that Satan used in the Garden of Eden. He made both Adam and Eve feel as if God was holding back from them as a form of rule or control. So in pursuit of being “like gods” they ate and sinned. Today many youths can’t even name the Ten Commandments. Then those who do not read God’s word and yet tell the world that they are saved describing who Jesus is to them are breaking the second of the Ten Commandments. They are forming graven imagery in their minds of who their god is instead of seeking Him in who He say He is in His word. The simple truth is Christ knows the heart of man. He knows who is His and who is of their father the devil. Those who are His are in pursuit to be like Him. And to be like Him we must Love according to His Love and not the definition of love according to the world.

    YES, YES, YES…, Both in the Old Covenants and the New Covenant, the heart of God was never rules of control. They were Laws rebuking the actions of mans’ wicked and darkened hearts. But the meaning behind the ONLY part of SCRIPTURE written by the hands of God HIMSELF is about LOVE. This is why the law used correctly is good. This is what the Messiah fulfilled and this is why He came to die for us so that we could live with Him forever. But while we are here on earth, we have been given minas to invest into others. We must work in love with the fruits of the Spirit until our Lord and Savior returns.

    • Yes, the law debunks man and creates in him an indomitable thirst, quest for Jesus the mediator Job.16:21; Job.33:23. Or look at David’s yearning for wings, healing wings Ps,55:6.
      In short, what the law could not do, LOVE did, accomplished on the cross. Our God is greater than Romeo, but our story is not a tragedy, but.. and so shall we ever be with the Lord of love. What a comfort 1Thes.4:16-18. Amen.
      Grace be with you all.
      Poor and needy one,
      mathew

  27. Where then do we find our Christian ethic? Quite simply, in Christ’s words: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength and you shall love your neighbor as yourself” (Mark 12:30-31).

    All right, fine. But this summary of the entire New Testament ethic in terms of love does not ask the question that this essay was intended to answer: which specific Old Testament commands are commands to Christians today? My question is this: which commands was Jesus talking about when he said the following (Matthew 5:18-20)?

    For truly I say to you, till heaven and earth pass, not one iota or one tittle shall by any means pass from the law, till all is fulfilled. Therefore whoever shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men [to do] so, he will be called the least in the kingdom of heaven, but whosoever shall do and teach [them], the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

    It seems to me that if our status within the kingdom of heaven (our greatness or inferiority) depends on our doing and teaching even the least commandments of the law, then it is definitely worthwhile to go about figuring out which specific laws apply.

    • Rom.13:8-14 especially v.10!
      Law of Truth,The law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus, The perfect law of liberty, The royal law, The law of kindness, the law of faith. Amen.
      Grace be with you all.
      Poor and needy one,
      mathew

  28. You don’t sound any different than millions of other sites that are so desperate to rid of God’s law. It would do you well to read the Bible that you so cheerily display:

    “To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.”

    • But the law emanates from Zion
      & the word of the Lord from Jerusalem (Isa.2:3; Mic.4:2).
      Now turn to Rev.14. See the glorious band of “an hundred forty and four thousand”, look at their credentials, the law proceeds out of them. Also Heb.12.22-24…let us have GRACE…..may serve ( ie. worship Rom.7:6) God ACCEPTABLY, not castaways. What meaneth this?
      Grace be with you all.
      Poor and needy one,
      mathew

  29. I read the article and most the comments. It is imperative that we come together as a community to brings all of Gods wisdom from other brothers and sisters led by the Spirit of Truth. We must also strive to rightly divide the word of truth, and to consider the full counsel of Gods Word, especially when dealing with a matter as grand as the The New Covenant in comparison with the Old Covenant. Chris I want to thank you for writing this post, it was short, to the point and yet comprehensive. Yet, I think that because of the topic matter chosen it is quite hard to cover ALL that can be said to clarify the matters of law, faith, redemption, etc….Not impossible but challenging to draw truth from it in such a short post. Sometimes more must be written to bring clarification. Nonetheless, thanks for taking time to study the word and share, plus stimulate the community to draw in truths of scripture….

    There is a phenomenal article I just read that deals with the Mosiac law of the OT and the law of Faith in the NT. Brothers, I think some of you should definitely read it. It is thoroug in giving a great perspective from a Jewish mind, yet it exalts Christ and draws in ALOT of scripture(since He is a Messianic Jew)…

    Continue to walk in the Spirit of Christ, and in His power and Might!!!! LEt us continue to FIX OUR EYES ON JESUS THE AUTHOR AND PERFECTER OF OUR FAITH

    here’s the link
    http://www.hebrew4christians.com/Articles/The_Mitzvah/the_mitzvah.html

  30. Mitchell,
    I am no Bible scholar; however I am committed to seek God’s to get understanding of His word rather than putting meaning to His word. We see that in Scripture many of those who were religious and held positions of authority were people who used their position and knowledge as a means to teach, however they did not do what they taught. They became prideful. Knowledge puffs many people up which is one of the things that Eve and Adam desired as Satan tempted them. Now, I am not saying knowledge is evil; what I am saying is that both the righteous and the wicked has knowledge so depending on the heart of a person, knowledge can become a means to control since knowledge is power. When Christ stated truth about the religious leaders, rather than humbling themselves, they responded in pride not because He proved them wrong, but because He exposed them in front of the people that they were trying to control.
    You stated:
    “All right, fine. But this summary of the entire New Testament ethic in terms of love does not ask the question that this essay was intended to answer: which specific Old Testament commands are commands to Christians today? My question is this: which commands was Jesus talking about when he said the following (Matthew 5:18-20)?
    For truly I say to you, till heaven and earth pass, not one iota or one tittle shall by any means pass from the law, till all is fulfilled. Therefore whoever shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men [to do] so, he will be called the least in the kingdom of heaven, but whosoever shall do and teach [them], the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
    It seems to me that if our status within the kingdom of heaven (our greatness or inferiority) depends on our doing and teaching even the least commandments of the law, then it is definitely worthwhile to go about figuring out which specific laws apply.”

    I believe to truly understand this Scripture you must understand the surrounding circumstances and the audience that Jesus was talking to. First, Jesus was teaching during a time that people were in bondage whether bondage of sickness, the bondage of the government, the bondage of religious leaders and the harsh laws being imposed on the people, and whatever bondage or addiction that people were going through. Another word that can be used is strongholds. Matthew 4 starts with Jesus coming onto the scene healing and delivering people in verse 23-25. He then started talking about this new kingdom that is to come. During this time this type of teaching had never been heard before except from the prophets and also during this time the religious leaders had so much control that they even control who had access to the temple, which even became a den of thieves. However in Matthew 5, Jesus starts out teaching about attitudes and actions that people must have which are all opposite of what a person with ‘pride’ will act. It was pride that got Satan cast out, and it is pride that the people of Sata’s kingdom will have and retaliate in violence to God’s children in persecuting them. Jesus knew this, therefore He is telling the crowd that even though persecution is coming when evil comes against them, hold on to His words that He is speaking, because since He is about to suffer such things, he is telling them that they will go through it too, but those who hold on in being poor rather prideful in spirit; those who mourn as families who admit Christ are killed and yet hunger for righteousness rather than becoming angry at God; and those who those who are persecuted for righteousness by a world whom has gone after other gods and forcing the people to embrace the gods as well…will receive their reward.
    Jesus even stated later in Scripture that those who find life will lose it and those who lose life will find it. All these commands or statements are pointing to the persecution that was to come as many will deny Christ to save their lives, where on the other hand many would die losing their life before denying their Lord Jesus once they receive the Holy Spirit. At the time Jesus was speaking the beatitudes, the persecution was not happening yet, so he was preparing them as those who had ears would hear and those who reject would later close their ear gnashing teeth rejecting God due to pride and a hard heart.
    Then after the beatitude he tells the crowd that they are salt and light. Christ was depositing words of the Kingdom in their hearts because He knew that the world would change for the worse and that they where the means of the world seeing God since the world will turn from God in rebellion throughout time to come (See Matthew 24).
    So with all that being said surrounding the time and the audience, I now share my understanding of the Scripture that you asked about.
    “My question is this: which commands was Jesus talking about when he said the following (Matthew 5:18-20)?”

    I believe to understand in context that the verses questioned should not start with verse 18 as you used for reference. Rather the verses should start with verse 17. In verse 17 Jesus states:
    17 “Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill.”
    He stated that He came to fulfill. Then He said heaven and earth will not pass until all is fulfill. Then afterwards he states that no one should break the commandments and teach man to do so.
    Here is what’s going on…Jesus is preparing the people for persecution and how they should respond to the violent world to come. Jesus knows that the world hates Him and will hate those who love Him as well until He returns. The key is this…at this point He has not given His life on the cross or (execution stick) so He has not fulfilled that yet. The Laws and the Prophets spoke about Him giving His life as a humble lamb. Secondly, after He gives His life, He is due to return…This still unto this day has not happened yet. This even is also spoken of in the Law yet has not been fulfilled. So here we have it. Over two thousand years ago, Christ makes the statement, “18 For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled” and we still see heaven and earth passing away because all has not yet been fulfilled. It will not be fulfilled until the “Day of the Lord” during the Day of Judgment. This is why Jesus states that the people are to be lights to a dark world that is destined to judgment, and this is why they are not to break the commandments of being/ having the attitudes commanded in the “Beatitudes” spoken of in the same chapter.
    “All right, fine. But this summary of the entire New Testament ethic in terms of love does not ask the question that this essay was intended to answer: which specific Old Testament commands are commands to Christians today? My question is this: which commands was Jesus talking about when he said the following (Matthew 5:18-20)?
    For truly I say to you, till heaven and earth pass, not one iota or one tittle shall by any means pass from the law, till all is fulfilled. Therefore whoever shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men [to do] so, he will be called the least in the kingdom of heaven, but whosoever shall do and teach [them], the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
    It seems to me that if our status within the kingdom of heaven (our greatness or inferiority) depends on our doing and teaching even the least commandments of the law, then it is definitely worthwhile to go about figuring out which specific laws apply.”

    So my answer to your question has a three part answer. First there is no ‘specific’ command when using these specific verses (Matt 5:18-20) because they all are required to endure the treatment of the world without becoming prideful ourselves. They all are requirements against pride and selfishness which is why Jesus states not to break the least.
    Secondly, the part of Scripture dealing with heaven and earth passing away was Jesus telling the world what He is doing and will do. This part was not directed as a command that Christians are to fulfill at no part of time. Only Jesus can and will fulfill this.
    Thirdly, it is the other part of the verse dealing with breaking the least that is for the believer. The Beatitudes are the ways all children of God must be (especially those in that day who would soon lose everything due to wickedness fighting against the believers. The commandments that are being spoken of is stating that those who are blessed (the Beatitudes) must remain that way guarding their hearts until the Lord returns. The “those” are the people who lived in those days in time past, and it those who lived throughout history till our day, and it is those who will be born and live after us until the day of Jesus’ second coming at the Last Day. Revelation even hints during the fifth seal the blood of the saints crying out and Jesus telling them to wait till more joins them.
    I would like to add that it is the “Lamb” who is opening the seals. No matter the millions of meaning that man has speculated of each seal mean, one thing that is clear—Jesus is the One opening them. Therefore everything that has happened, things currently happening, and things to come is all in His hands and is at his timing- even persecution. This is why He tells the churches in Rev 2-3 to endure to the end. Ephesians tells us to put on our whole armor of God to be able to stand in the ‘evil days’. Wearing this armor of God is being the salt and light of the world as the world rebels and becomes reprobated. Then as the as one wears it- and lawlessness abounds those who continues having done all…to stand will have great rewards in heaven.

    • Wow, that’s a long answer! What I am hearing from you — correct me if I’m wrong — is that the command to obey the law in Matthew 5:18-19 does not apply today because it is what Jesus said before his crucifixion, which then changed things.

      But if we may set aside Jesus’ commands before the crucifixion as being for an age of law only, then is not most of all four gospels abolished? Are only the last few verses of Mark applicable to us today? If we may set aside the Jesus’ preaching of the law, may we set aside the rest of his Sermon on the Mount?

      And if we are to take this sort of approach to Jesus’ words, claiming that his pre-resurrection words are not binding today, then what of the Great Commission, which says:

      Therefore go into all the world and disciple all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit; teaching them to obey all things whatsoever I have commanded you.

      Does “all things whatsoever I have commanded you” include Matthew 5:18-19? Clearly it does.

      • No Sir, I am not saying that the command to obey the Law in Matthew 5:18-does not apply today, if fact that is totally opposite of what I stated.

        1. Your previous post according to my understanding was asking what specific law (as if there was a choice of a certain part to choose from). So I stated that all are together because to break one is to break all.

        2. As far as Matthew 5:18 goes, I don’t see it as talking about obeying any commands. In fact there is nothing about a command until verse 19.

        3. What I was saying is that you have to put verse 17 and 18 together for it to make sense of the meaning of heaven and earth passing away. Verse 18 is talking about “all being accomplished”. It is this accomplishment that I was referring to that Jesus will fulfill completely in the Last Day when He put an end to all rule of darkness and restoring the earth as stated in Revelation.

        4. The commands in verse 19 that are to be obeyed seems to be addressing what is stated in verse 2 thru verse 17. The commands that are to be obeyed are also pointing what follows which is verse 22-48 – NOT – a command in verse 18 -21 as you used in the blog.

        5. My intentions is not to get into a debate or to prove who is write or wrong, all I am saying is that Jesus was both teaching the people what to do AND…He was saying that even though the people are subjected to ‘time’…Jesus himself is not. Therefore we are not to get weary thinking that Christ will not return….’Because heaven and earth will pass’ (time, generations and generations will pass), but He will fulfill everything that is written of Him even the jot and the tittle’ even though time according to man is passing. The day that only the Father knows (the time of His coming which is determined) is set. On this day all will be fulfilled. This is what I was saying has nothing to do with Christians/ believers obeying a command. This is what I was saying only Jesus will do. This verse is about Jesus’ action compared to the heavens and earth. I was also stating that this conclusion is seen when verse 17 and 18 is put together.

        Jesus came for a reason, He taught for a reason, and He commanded us to obey for a reason. The reason is that when judgment day comes… woe to those who are not written in the Lamb book of Life, and blessed are those who are. There is only one way in… to obey. Obedience is better than sacrifice.

        Lastly going back to my original post; if you look at what verses 21- 48, you see the Ten Commandments stated in the letter or the (Law) and readdressed as it pertains to the heart for today’s believers.

        I understood the original blog addressing the topic “if the Law applies to Christians today”. I was simply saying of all Laws written in the Law, the Ten Commandments contains the entire Scripture to include the New Testament. Therefore we today are to obey the commands of the Ten Commandments not as Law, but out of love, because one must love with the heart. It is with our hearts, soul , and mind that we are to love God.

        May God continue to show mercy and kindness to us all. He is a great and loving God who will also judge the wicked.

  31. Response to Walters (and comment directed to Mitchell):

    You are walking dangerous grounds if you are in fact attempting to nullify part of the commands of Jesus during His earthly ministry. We cannot take half of what Jesus taught or we have half a gospel. Furthermore, be reminded of the Apostle Johns First Epistle which is written very late in his life after the resurrection. Consider his view of what Jesus taught from the BEGINNING OF HIS MINISTRY:

    “Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. He who says, “I know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him.” [1 Jo 2:3-5]

    and right after he continues by saying this:

    “Brethren, I write no new commandment to you, but an OLD COMMANDMENT which you have HAD FROM THE BEGINNING. The old commandment is the word which you heard from the beginning.”

    When John writes his letter he reminds them that under the New Covenant it is ALL ABOUT following the instructions of Yeshuah [Jesus]and living by faith in Him. We CANNOT NEGLIGANT ANY OF WHAT JESUS TAUGHT, we CANNOT DIVIDE UP what applies and doesnt when it comes to JESUS. HE IS THE FULLFILMENT OF THE NEW TESTAMENT!!! AND HE SPEAKS

    God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son… [Heb 1:1-2]

    Therefore we must give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard, lest we drift away. [Heb 2:1]

    and do not forget what Jesus says in John 12

    For I have not spoken on My own authority; but the Father who sent Me gave Me a command, what I should say and what I should speak. And I know that His command is everlasting life. Therefore, whatever I speak, just as the Father has told Me, so I speak. [Jo 12:49-50]

    The words of Jesus were given by the Father, “whatever I speak, just as the Father has told Me, so I speak.” We cannot reject any part of the teachings of Jesus if we wish to be His disciples. To reject a part of what Jesus taught is to reject the Father! Please, let us think clearly and with all prudence not divide the teachings of Jesus…being pre-crucifixation, and post-crucifixtion.

    We are not under the law of the OT, in that their is no need for ceremonial, sacrificial laws to adhere to. JESUS IS THE LAMB THAT WAS SLAIN FOR THE SINS OF THE WORLD! AND the LAmb slain before the foundations of the world. In the whole scope of the Bible, the law of faith is what we must most come to grips with. “The just shall live by faith.” But as you should well know, faith enables obdiences….Hebrews 11 lists all that the Heroes of the faith DID….as a RESULT OF FAITH…NOT by keeping the ceremonial, and sacrificial laws….

    The New COVENANT has NEW TERMS!! The new terms are to adhere to a walk by FAITH in JESUS, throught the power of the SPirit.

    again I think it would be beneficial (myself included) to read this article. I say this because it is so well written with clarity, wisdom, and is meat for the sheep.

    http://www.hebrew4christians.com/Articles/The_Mitzvah/the_mitzvah.html

    I’m not meaning to cut anyone down but I hope we continue to be faithful to the scriptures always!

    God bless

  32. I usually tell people ” boldly, humbly, diligently read Hebrews 7 times & become a radicalized Christian, read, ruminate, respond.
    Suppose I am an aborigine from Andamans desiring to know the desire of all nations, how can I get to know the way, the truth and the life and live? Hebrew, Greek, Hermeneutics… are all Greek and Latin to me.
    Also please tell me, Who is this Melchisedec? And What is the Ministry after the order, manner, of Melchisedec? This seems to be the Ministry Standard in the NT. So please try to explain briefly.
    Thanks.
    Poor and needy one,
    mathew